Rowan Sunfish Jumper Knitting Pattern

Rowan Sunfish Knitted Sweater

What is Being Made

The Rowan Sunfish is a knitted sweater designed by Martin Storey. This garment is constructed as a classic pullover jumper available in five size options to fit bust measurements ranging from 81–86 cm (32–34 inches) through to 122–127 cm (48–50 inches). The finished sweater features an actual hem measurement ranging from 141 cm to 181 cm (55½ to 71¼ inches) depending on size selected, making it a generously proportioned design.

Construction and Techniques

The Sunfish sweater employs bottom-up construction, meaning the garment is knitted starting from the lower edge and working upward toward the shoulders and neckline. The piece is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, and is finished with seaming to join the various sections together. This traditional approach allows for precise shaping and detailed patterning throughout the garment.

The sweater features set-in sleeves with carefully shaped armhole openings. Sleeve cap shaping is achieved through strategic increases worked at regular intervals—increases are made at each end of the work on the next row, then repeated on every 6th row for four instances, followed by every 4th row for three instances, then on alternating rows for three instances, and finally on consecutive rows for five rows. Shoulder shaping is accomplished through a series of cast-offs at the beginning of rows, with the number of stitches cast off varying by size. The neckline features a shaped back neck opening with cast-offs to create the finished neckline edge.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch used throughout most of the Sunfish sweater is stockinette stitch (stocking stitch), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a distinct right side of vertical columns and a reverse side of horizontal bumps. The pattern begins with a knit row when working stockinette stitch.

The garment features a charted color pattern that is worked entirely in stockinette stitch. This patterned section spans 28 stitches and is repeated 5, 5, 6, 6, or 7 times across each row depending on the size being knitted. The chart itself contains 12 rows of patterning. Two yarn colors are used for this design: Yarn A (Night) and Yarn B (Cream). After completing all 12 rows of the chart, Yarn B is broken off and the remainder of the sweater is worked in stockinette stitch using only Yarn A.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Rowan Sunfish pattern calls for Rowan Denim Revive yarn in two colorways:

• Yarn A (Night): 14, 16, 17, 20, or 22 balls of 50-gram weight, depending on size
• Yarn B (Cream): 1 ball of 50-gram weight for all sizes

The pattern requires two pairs of needles in different sizes to create the proper fabric tension and structure:

• 3¼mm (US size 3, UK size 10) needles for ribbed or initial sections
• 3¾mm (US size 5, UK size 9) needles for the main body of the sweater

The pattern notes that as the stitch count increases during sleeve shaping, knitters may prefer to switch to a circular needle for easier management of the larger number of stitches, even though the work continues to be worked flat rather than in the round.

Tension and Finishing

Achieving the correct tension (gauge) is essential for this pattern to produce a garment with the intended finished measurements. The pattern specifies a tension requirement that should be checked by knitters before beginning the project. Once all pieces are knitted, they are joined together using seaming techniques to create the finished sweater.